Transient Plasma Ignition of Hydrocarbon-Air Mixtures in Pulse Detonation Engines

Abstract

A transient plasma ignition system has been demonstrated to substantially reduce the ignition delay and detonation-to-detonation transition times for ethylene-air and propane-air mixtures under dynamic fill conditions. The effects initial conditions including equivalence ratio, a temperature range of 280K to 430K, and pressure range of 1 to 6 atm were evaluated. Ignition delays were reduced by up to a factor of 5 and the corresponding deflagration-to-detonation time scales were observed to decrease accordingly when compared to conventional capacitive discharge systems. The substantial reduction of the ignition delay times resulted in the generation of strong pressure waves which inherently steepened into shock waves quickly and in a short distance. Although direct initiation of a detonation wave was not obtained, the sub sequential use of a Shchelkin spiral was able to rapidly and reliably accelerate the combustion driven shock waves to detonations within practical distances. The efficiency and performance of the transient plasma ignition strategy will likely contribute to the development of fuel-air detonation initiators.